Page 135 of Only Cold Depths
Kyrion and I were the last to leave, and on our way out of the library, Verona stopped me and touched my arm. Kyrion raised his eyebrows in a silent question, and I nodded, telling him to go ahead. He strode down the corridor, leaving me alone with Verona.
“Congratulations,” she said. “You and Kyrion solidified your bond.”
I blinked. I hadn’t thought about the bond in hours, not since Kyrion had used his telekinesis to fish me out of the chasm, along with Zane’s help. But Verona was right. The bond felt different now—stronger and sturdier—and Kyrion’s magic and mine flowed alongside each other like twin streams of power in a way they never had before. Somehow I knew I could dip my hands into his stream of power and use it just as easily as I could use my own seer magic.
“Did you know what was wrong with us? How we were both so worried about letting the other person down that it was interfering with the bond?”
“I suspected as much. Aldrich and I had a similar problem when we bonded. But our problem wasn’t worry.” A shadow passed over Verona’s face. “It was guilt.”
“Because you were both moving on and finding happiness again?”
She nodded, her hands twisting together. “I felt so much guilt over Urston’s death, and Aldrich felt the same about Opal. It impacted our bond for a long, long time. And of course, it still impacts other people to this day.”
I knew she was talking about Asterin and Siya, but I didn’t say anything.
Verona’s hands stilled. “But we can’t live our lives in the past. We only have the present and the future we hope to make for ourselves. Once Aldrich and I accepted that, our bond finally solidified.” She looked at me with a serious expression. “Just because you are part of a truebond, even one as strong as yours and Kyrion’s, doesn’t mean you stop being an individual person or that all your fears, worries, and guilt vanish.”
“Then what does it mean?”
“A true partner makes your strengths stronger and your weaknesses easier to manage.” A genuine smile lit up her face. “And whatever else you want it to mean. You’ll figure it out, Vesper.”
I nodded. “With Kyrion. Together. Tried and true.”
“Tried and true,” she echoed, then slipped into the library and shut the door.
Still thinking about Verona’s words, I went through an archway and stepped onto a bridge that connected the main castle to the guest wing. To my surprise, Zane was standing in the shadows and leaning against the railing. I glanced down, wondering what had caught his attention.
In the garden below, Siya and Asterin were facing off, their arms crossed over their chests. Their heated voices drifted up to me.
“ . . . can’t believe you did something so reckless . . .”
“ . . . Vesper and Kyrion needed my help . . .”
“ . . . you put House Collier atrisk. . .”
“ . . . I helpedsaveHouse Collier . . .”
I walked over and stepped into the shadows with Zane. “I never took you for an eavesdropper.”
Zane straightened up and let out a low, rumbling laugh. “Oh, my dear sister, I wouldn’t learn anything or be privy to such juicy gossip if I didn’t eavesdrop. Why, eavesdropping is a skill every Regal develops practically as soon as they can walk. We really must expand your education. We have a lot of work to do to catch you up on everything you’ve missed while you’ve been away from House Zimmer.”
His tone was breezy, but a serious undercurrent rippled through his words. My heart squeezed with longing.
“Is that what you want? For me to actually become part of House Zimmer?” I paused. “Even though it’s already crystal clearIwill be Wendell’s favorite?”
“Teasing me already? How delightful! I’ve been the favorite for the last thirty-eight years. I think I can share the spotlight with you.” He paused. “For a while. Until I decide to take back the favorite-child crown.”
Even though I was the one who’d started the teasing, an exasperated huff escaped from my lips. “Can you never be serious?”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
I tried again. “I felt your magic in the cavern. You used your telekinesis to help Kyrion haul me up out of the chasm. He wouldn’t have been able to do it by himself. You saved my life, Zane.”
He shifted on his feet. “Yes, well, you’d gone to so much trouble to kill Esmina. It seemed a shame to let you plummet to your death after all that bloody effort.”
“You can’t even say it, can you?”
“What?”
